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Armor/AFV: Modern - USA
Modern Armor, AFVs, and Support vehicles.
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Bad Mofo Fixed-- Corrected USMC M1A1 AIM
bill_c
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Posted: Monday, May 31, 2010 - 09:17 AM UTC
OK, thanks to everyone's kind help and constructive criticism, here is "Bad Mofo" v. 2.0 with:

1.) corrected rear turret bustle
2.) removed incorrect (i.e., US Army) bustle extension
3.) removed BFT (blue force tracker) antenna
4.) OD "gas" jerrycans and Sand water cans
5.) proper number of seabags (4)
6.) better storage of Coke & Pepsi cases










sgtreef
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Posted: Monday, May 31, 2010 - 11:06 AM UTC
Looks Good Bill.

Dang that was fast.

No swimming at the Ocean today?

Atlantic city maybe?
sauceman
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Posted: Monday, May 31, 2010 - 11:45 AM UTC
Nice job Bill!

Quick work on the fixes LOL.


cheers
Tankrider
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Posted: Monday, May 31, 2010 - 03:03 PM UTC
Bill,
Nice recovery, IMHO, you nailed the look of a well used USMC tank. The weathering is top notch and the amount of crew kit fits them model, not "Velinden-esque". The only other thing that I woudl mention is to paint the smoke grenades in the ready box that you posed open... The taller ones should be black and the shorter ones should be a pale/Sky-S green.

John
majjanelson
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Posted: Monday, May 31, 2010 - 03:38 PM UTC
Bill,

That's some fine work! Nice recovery, too.

Now you need to build an M1A2 SEP.
Grumpyoldman
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Posted: Monday, May 31, 2010 - 10:44 PM UTC
Nice work Bill.
I salute you--- I would have simply trashed it, instead of doing the corrections.
slodder
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Posted: Monday, May 31, 2010 - 11:10 PM UTC
Bill this came out really nicely. I like the distance photos, a bit of photoshopping on a background and it'd be hard to differentiate the real thing.
Karl187
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Posted: Monday, May 31, 2010 - 11:27 PM UTC
This captures that loaded down look better than any Abrams I've seen. You got everything but the kitchen sink!
Citizinsane
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Posted: Monday, May 31, 2010 - 11:53 PM UTC
yupp, again really nice build!

one thing still, didn't I send you a TI phone box as well?
however, never mind my 'fuddy-duddyness'



Quoted Text

The taller ones should be black and the shorter ones should be a pale/Sky-S green.




basically yes, but vice versa, the taller ones sky-green and so on

cheers Max
HeavyArty
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Posted: Tuesday, June 01, 2010 - 12:28 AM UTC
Hi Bill, She is looking great. I'm glad I saw this when I did. I just got back from a Memorial Day Weekend trip. The only other correction I will add is to the roadwheels. The center hubs are clear (as in the kit) and filled with oil, which makes them appear black. I like to paint the center hub black and then touch the nut in the middle with the hull color. It makes them look just as they do in the below pic, even when dirty.



There are still too many bags on her though. The number of rucksacks hanging on the sides and top should also be four. Each crewman is issued only one rucksack.

With the corrections you already got and these small tweaks, she should look great. A definite show winner. Great job.
chnoone
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Posted: Tuesday, June 01, 2010 - 03:12 AM UTC
And I though everybody is happy now ?

Cheers
Christopher
bison126
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Posted: Tuesday, June 01, 2010 - 03:30 AM UTC

Quoted Text

And I though everybody is happy now ?

Cheers
Christopher



For sure we are ! This is an excellent build and I'm really impressed to see how fast Bill made the few corrections !
I just hope he didn't feel too bad after the constructive comments that could have him thinking he messed his model up which was not the case at all.

Olivier
bill_c
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Posted: Tuesday, June 01, 2010 - 05:45 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Looks Good Bill. Dang that was fast. No swimming at the Ocean today? Atlantic city maybe?


Sorry, Jeff, I had to fix 'er first! LOL

Quoted Text

Nice job Bill!


Thanks, Rick!

Quoted Text

Nice recovery, IMHO, you nailed the look of a well used USMC tank. The weathering is top notch and the amount of crew kit fits them model, not "Velinden-esque".


Thanks, John, I appreciate the praise.

Quoted Text

That's some fine work! Nice recovery, too. Now you need to build an M1A2 SEP.


Much obliged, Jeff. If I can pick one up on eBay for under $30, I will. Would like to do an Army version in NATO tricolor.

Quoted Text

I salute you--- I would have simply trashed it, instead of doing the corrections.


I am happy to receive props from fellow staffers, Dave. I confess I resisted the urge to fling it against the wall and just knuckled down. Thanks, Scott, as well.

Quoted Text

This captures that loaded down look better than any Abrams I've seen. You got everything but the kitchen sink!


I'm blushing, Karl. It may not be to everyone's tastes, but the photos I've looked at show some tanks with lots of gear, and others with less. I went for the "it's a long time until we stand down, so we're going to eat & drink in style" look.

Quoted Text

one thing still, didn't I send you a TI phone box as well?


I think you just sent smoke grenade launcher base and the square thingy whose name escapes me, Max, but I am grateful that and the photos you've shared . What does a TI box look like and where does it go?

Quoted Text

Hi Bill, She is looking great. I'm glad I saw this when I did. I just got back from a Memorial Day Weekend trip. The only other correction I will add is to the roadwheels. The center hubs are clear (as in the kit) and filled with oil, which makes them appear black. I like to paint the center hub black and then touch the nut in the middle with the hull color. It makes them look just as they do in the below pic, even when dirty.


I wondered why the kit parts were clear, Gino. Easy to fix, though, and I will.

Quoted Text

There are still too many bags on her though. The number of rucksacks hanging on the sides and top should also be four. Each crewman is issued only one rucksack.


I will re-do, though the rucksacks are all different styles. Is there a standard?

Quoted Text

With the corrections you already got and these small tweaks, she should look great. A definite show winner. Great job.


Thanks, I appreciate all you did, including sending me the smoke grenade launchers.

Quoted Text

And I thought everybody is happy now?


It's OK, Christopher, I've learned a lot and am happy to improve the look.

Quoted Text

This is an excellent build and I'm really impressed to see how fast Bill made the few corrections! I just hope he didn't feel too bad after the constructive comments that could have him thinking he messed his model up which was not the case at all.


Not at all, Olivier! A heart-felt "thank you" to everyone who has taken the time to comment.
HeavyArty
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Posted: Tuesday, June 01, 2010 - 11:22 AM UTC

Quoted Text

I will re-do, though the rucksacks are all different styles. Is there a standard?



Yup, the ALICE rucksaks that you have on the sides are all the same style, just with different gear attached to them. Any 4 of them will be fine.
bill_c
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Posted: Wednesday, June 02, 2010 - 03:42 AM UTC
Thanks, Gino, I'm down to four rucksacks. Am putting some extra track on the side racks instead.

Painting the oil reservoirs on the road wheels black with tan centers. The reservoirs look to be in two parts. Are they connected? Or would some tan show up between the two halves?
Frenchy
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Posted: Wednesday, June 02, 2010 - 04:04 AM UTC
Bill

Here are some USMC Abrams TIP boxes (TIP=Tank-Infantry Phone). The TIP enables the infantry to communicate with the Tank Commander.



Frenchy
bill_c
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Posted: Wednesday, June 02, 2010 - 04:26 AM UTC
Are they standard? I guess I'll have to scratch one if they are.
Frenchy
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Posted: Wednesday, June 02, 2010 - 04:30 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Are they standard? I guess I'll have to scratch one if they are.



Courtesy of Mike Mummey



The box is fixed to a mounting plate which is bolted to the hull.
Here's an example :


Differently shaped (late ?) mounting plate :



HTH

Frenchy
bill_c
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Posted: Wednesday, June 02, 2010 - 05:13 AM UTC
Thanks, H-P!
HeavyArty
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Posted: Wednesday, June 02, 2010 - 11:29 AM UTC
The cap is a one-piece affair with just the nut holding them on. The whole thing is clear. As to the USMC T/I Phone, not all USMC tanks had them. Some did, some didn't; I don't know what the ratio was though.
bill_c
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Posted: Thursday, June 03, 2010 - 03:17 AM UTC

Quoted Text

The cap is a one-piece affair with just the nut holding them on. The whole thing is clear. As to the USMC T/I Phone, not all USMC tanks had them. Some did, some didn't; I don't know what the ratio was though.


Thanks, Gino, that's how I painted them.

Scratching that phone box looks like more effort than I want to put in right now, having done the building and then the re-building of the project.

Again, thanks to EVERYONE who has given me help, encouragement, critiques and sent parts. This is a real group build.

C[ ]
pseudorealityx
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Posted: Saturday, June 05, 2010 - 02:29 PM UTC
Great job Bill.

Your previous thread, and now the results convinced me to try this beast. Picked up the same kit today at the LHS. What were your impressions of the Bronco tracks?

Any particular parts that gave you trouble?
bill_c
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Posted: Sunday, June 06, 2010 - 05:37 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Great job Bill.


Thanks, Jesse

Quoted Text

Your previous thread, and now the results convinced me to try this beast. Picked up the same kit today at the LHS. What were your impressions of the Bronco tracks?


The qualitative improvement over the Magic Tracks supplied in the kit is ENORMOUS. There is simply no comparison, since they not only have more detailing (because each link has 6 pieces to the one piece MT), but also are workable and therefore much more realistic.

Quoted Text

Any particular parts that gave you trouble?


In no particular order:

1.) The Bronco tracks have a tricky attachment point for the track pads-- too much cement and you'll get sink marks. You also need to build them two pads at a time, since the connecting rods go into both sides.

2.) The bustle rack: my success at getting it upside down should indicate that care must be taken there.

3.) Putting on the tracks: don't follow the instructions, but instead paint the chassis and the skirts separately, then add the skirts after you've applied the tracks.

Otherwise, this is one of the finest stryene kits I've ever encountered. If you're not converting to a Jarhead version like I did, I think it should build up OOB with no need whatsoever for additional parts or AM goodies, other than the tracks.
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